Photo: Wich’yanan (Jay) Limparungpatthanakij / CC BY 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Buff-necked Woodpecker
Meiglyptes tukki
Buff-necked Woodpecker (Meiglyptes tukki) — Woodpeckers & Toucans of South & Southeast Asia.
Found across 6 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Buff-necked Woodpecker (Meiglyptes tukki) is a member of the Picidae family found in South & Southeast Asia. Adults weigh 53.1 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Close to qualifying for a threatened category in the near future.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Piciformes
- Family Picidae Woodpeckers
- Genus Meiglyptes
- Species tukki
Quick facts
- Weight
- 53.1 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Picidae
- Order
- Piciformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Buff-necked Woodpecker is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Buff-necked Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Buff-necked Woodpecker (Meiglyptes tukki) belongs to the Picidae family of the order Piciformes. It is found across South & Southeast Asia. Its distribution covers OR Malay Pen., Sumatra and Borneo.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 53.1 g, with a wing length of about 9.7 cm and a tail of around 5.8 cm.
The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened. That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 772,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Buff-necked Woodpecker?
The Buff-necked Woodpecker is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 53.1 g.
Where does the Buff-necked Woodpecker live?
The Buff-necked Woodpecker is found across South & Southeast Asia with a range covering OR Malay Pen., Sumatra and Borneo, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Buff-necked Woodpecker belong to?
The Buff-necked Woodpecker (Meiglyptes tukki) belongs to the Picidae family, in the order Piciformes.
What does the Buff-necked Woodpecker eat?
The Buff-necked Woodpecker is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Buff-necked Woodpecker migrate?
The Buff-necked Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Buff-necked Woodpecker endangered?
The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.
What sound does the Buff-necked Woodpecker make?
1 real field recording of the Buff-necked Woodpecker — including its drumming — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Buff-necked Woodpecker's range?
The Buff-necked Woodpecker has a mapped global range of about 772,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
Explore more birds
More in Picidae
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Not Evaluated
More in Woodpeckers & Toucans
Not Evaluated
Least Concern
Least Concern
Not Evaluated
Guides for this bird
Best Suet Feeders for Woodpeckers
How to choose a suet feeder for woodpeckers — the styles compared, why a tail prop helps, and how to keep starlings off. A decision framework with the woodpecker species in the Birbs encyclopedia.
Meet the Picidae
A field guide to the Picidae family — 239 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.